All 20 on the map
Every bar in The 20 best speakeasies and hidden bars in Chicago, pinned where it actually is. Tap a marker to see which one it is.
Behind another door
Through a restaurant kitchen, a liquor store or a door that needs a key, or tucked into the back of a wine bar or a hotel.
Nine Bar
Hidden behind the kitchen door at Moon Palace Express, the bar that brought serious cocktails to Chinatown: neon, hip-hop and Asian-ish drinks, on North America's 50 Best list. Eat the McKatsu, a pork katsu sandwich built like a Big Mac. A 3% surcharge goes on every check.
The Office
The 21-seat speakeasy beneath The Aviary, behind a door that needs a key: old-school drinks and rare bottles poured back to the 1960s.
Osito's Tap
A speakeasy-style agave bar at the back of the family's Moreno's Liquors in Little Village (walk in through the store), whose shelves hold one of the Midwest's biggest tequila collections: mezcal and tequila cocktails with Mexican snacks.
The Alderman
Behind a closed door inside Pilsen Yards, a 16-seat room with drinks named for Chicago politics, run by award-winning bartender Lance Bowman. A quiet date spot away from the DJs out front.
Le Mistral
Twenty-odd candlelit seats tucked away at the back of S.K.Y., where the wine list leans French (Aligoté by the glass) and the cocktails are few but careful.
Bernard's
A small, plush cocktail bar tucked inside the Waldorf Astoria on Walton: a fireplace, deep chairs and classic-leaning drinks built to order.
Underground and down an alley
Basement bars under restaurants, taprooms and a music hall, and a tiki bar down an alley off Hubbard.
Three Dots and a Dash
An underground tiki bar reached down an alley off Hubbard, pouring rum drinks in elaborate mugs alongside pupu snacks. Bring a crowd for the Treasure Chest, a giant shared rum punch. The Bamboo Room inside is a separate tasting bar.
Bar Sótano
Rick Bayless's underground bar off the alley behind Frontera, pouring mezcal cocktails with Mexican small plates.
Clandestino
The red-lit lounge hidden beneath Matilda on Wells, pouring pisco and mezcal drinks. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6 (5 on weekends).
The Library at Gilt Bar
The candlelit basement lounge beneath Gilt Bar, with leather couches, a fireplace and classic cocktails; far calmer than the dining room upstairs.
Booze Box
Look for the red neon arrow in the alley off Randolph: below SushiDokku is a dark Japanese bar for highballs, Japanese whisky and snacks, with the hip-hop turned up.
Devious Lounge
The underground cocktail lounge beneath Pilot Project's Wrigleyville taproom, a short walk from the ballpark; dark, low-lit and good before or after a game.
Culebra
A narrow, dark Puerto Rican and Caribbean cocktail bar below Lonesome Rose in Logan Square, built around rum, with a small island-inspired menu. Try the Malta highball, the spicy rum swizzle or the jibarito.
Dorothy
A 1970s-styled lesbian cocktail lounge 'for every friend of Dorothy,' downstairs behind a red door on Chicago Avenue: velvet sectionals, mic nights and readings. Ask for the dealer's choice, which changes daily.
Bar Sotto
The basement bar under Italian Village, feeding the Loop since 1927: Italian beers and wines, riffs on classic cocktails and shareable bites, handy before a show. Tuesday to Saturday from 4.
Punch House
Thalia Hall's wood-paneled basement bar for punch bowls and carafes shared around a group, with DJs most nights; bites come down from Mariscos San Pedro until 9.
Speakeasies with a show
Burlesque, cabaret, live jazz and a piano that plays every night.
The Drifter
A genuine 1920s speakeasy in the basement of Green Door Tavern: each night the bartenders draw tarot-card cocktails at random, with burlesque and variety acts. Wednesday to Saturday from 5. You could come every week for a year and never draw the same drink twice.
Bordel
A Paris-flavored speakeasy and cabaret upstairs on Division since 2014: creative cocktails and porrons, with burlesque, jazz, flamenco and sword-swallowing onstage, 21 and over. Check the night's show, and eat downstairs at Mama Delia first.
Lazy Bird
A mid-century cocktail lounge in the basement of The Hoxton, with live bands Thursday to Saturday (9 to midnight, with a cover) and vinyl sets on Sundays.
The Redhead Piano Bar
A basement piano bar off State Street with live music every night, cozy booths, a heated covered patio and a walk-in humidor of 150-plus cigars.
The best speakeasies by neighborhood
Downtown: Three Dots and a Dash, Bar Sótano, Clandestino, The Library at Gilt Bar, The Drifter and The Redhead Piano Bar in River North; Bernard's in the Gold Coast; Bar Sotto in the Loop.
West Loop and Fulton Market: Booze Box and Lazy Bird in the West Loop; The Office in Fulton Market.
Logan Square: Culebra.
Wicker Park, West Town and nearby: Dorothy in Humboldt Park; Bordel in Wicker Park.
Elsewhere in the city: The Alderman and Punch House in Pilsen; Nine Bar in Chinatown; Osito's Tap in Little Village; Le Mistral in Lincoln Park; Devious Lounge in Wrigleyville.
Want more?
More cocktail bars: the 25 best cocktail bars in Chicago, and the best rooftop bars for the opposite of a basement.
Common questions
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